The House of Representatives has its basis in the earliest incarnation of the General Assembly, the "General Corte" established in 1636 whose membership was divided between six generally elected magistrates (the predecessor of the Connecticut Senate) and three-member "committees" representing each of the three towns of the Connecticut Colony (Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor). The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, adopted in 1639, replaced the committees with deputies; each town would elect three or four deputies for six-month terms. Although the magistrates and deputies sat together, they voted separately and in 1645 it was decreed that a measure had to have the approval of both groups in order to pass. The Charter of 1662 reduced the number of deputies per town to no more than two, and also changed the title of the legislature to the General Assembly. It was in 1698 that the General Assembly divided itself into its current bicameral form, with the twelve assistants (that replaced the magistrates) as the Council (which became the Senate in the 1818 constitution) and the deputies as the House of Representatives, which began electing the Speaker to preside over it. The terms of representatives were raised to two years in 1884.[1]

The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House resolution. In addition to presiding over the body, the Speaker is also its chief leadership position, and controls the flow of legislation and committee assignments. Other House leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the chamber.

^Under the Gold Dome: An Insider's Look at the Connecticut Legislature, by Judge Robert Satter. New Haven: Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, 2004, pp. 16–27.

^Democrat Stephen Dargan (District 115) resigned prior to the sessions start to take a job on the state Board of Pardons and Paroles. [1]

^Democrat Douglas McCrory (District 7) and Republican Eric C. Berthel (District 68) resigned after being elected to the State Senate. Democrat Dorinda Keenan Borer elected to succeed Dargan [2]

^Democrat Joshua M. Hall and Republican Joseph Polletta elected to succeed McCrory and Berthel, respectively. Hall was elected on the Working Families Party line but is a registered Democrat and will caucus with Democrats. [3]

^Democrat David Baram (District 15) resigned after being elected 3rd District Probate Court judge. [4]